Suspended storage apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus particularly suitable for the suspended storage of foodstuffs in any available space, comprising a frame consisting of at least one basic module (30) with four vertical posts (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d) joined together in pairs by upper (35) and lower (34) longitudinal coupling members and upper (37) and lower (36) transverse coupling members. The lower ends of the posts comprise four lower connecting members (32a, 32b, 32c, 32d) and four upper connecting members (33a, 33b, 33c, 33d), the connecting members being provided with coupling devices for mounting horizontally or vertically adjacent modules.

The present invention concerns a pendulant product storage installation,in particular for food products, and more particularly for bars ofchocolate or the like, these products being placed on shelves arrangedhorizontally on pendulant product carriers horizontally suspended on twochains mounted on a frame and moving parallel to each other in a closedcircuit comprising a feed section going from a station for loading theproducts on the shelves, to a product receiving station arranged forunloading the shelves, and a return section in which the shelves arebrought back empty from the receiving station to the loading station, inwhich the frame consists of a least one basic module comprising fourvertical columns which are connected to each other in pairs by upper andlower longitudinal coupling members respectively and by upper and lowertransversal coupling members respectively.

Numerous pendulant storage installations are already known, inparticular that disclosed in the European Patent application publishedunder number 0 538 742 A1. In food product production lines, for exampleof bars of chocolate, biscuits, chocolate covered products and otherproducts which are fragile and delicate to handle, it is often necessaryto be able to have a temporary storage installation available for theseproducts, given that production is carried out continuously whilepackaging is carried out in batches and the packaging units of a sameline are periodically subject to halts required for maintenance, repairor the placing of packing material.

These storage installations must comply with relatively burdensomespecifications. They must allow large storage capacity and assureefficient and careful transport of the products from a loading stationto a receiving station, while providing maximum security for theconveyed products, great flexibility of use and variable storagepotential as a function of the instant demand.

One of the problems presented by these installations is spacerequirement. It is easy to understand that the user wishes to haveavailable the greatest possible storage capacity for the minimum amountof space. Furthermore, in most cases, an installation of this type mustbe able to be erected in existing premises, which requires a "made tomeasure" configuration. Indeed, except in the case of a new building, itis often difficult, and rarely desirable, to adapt an existing buildingto the space requirements imposed by the erection of a storageinstallation on a product packaging line. Consequently, the manufacturerof this type of installation must usually adapt the design of hisstorage installation to a set of parameters which are connected on theone hand to the products, and on the other hard to the space available.This results in a compromise which does not always offer the idealsolution to storage problems. Most existing installations are standardconstructions, comprising a fixed frame on which are mounted the twochains which carry the pendulant product carriers intended to receivethe products. The design of this rigid construction does not enable thestorage problem to be optimised to take account of parameters connectedto the products without becoming dependent on parameters connected tothe available space.

The present invention proposes to resolve the aforementioned problem byovercoming the disadvantages of the known prior systems, and offeringgreat flexibility of use as well as the ability to be adapted as afunction of different applications, so as to give this installation asubstantially universal character.

These objects are achieved by the storage installation according to theinvention which is characterised in that said vertical columns compriseat each of their ends four upper and lower connecting membersrespectively, and in that these connecting members are provided withcoupling means arranged for assuring the assembly of adjacent and/orsuperposed modules.

In a preferred embodiment, the lower connecting members are arranged forcarrying a lower sprocket wheel A and the upper connecting members arearranged for carrying an upper sprocket wheel B for guiding the chains,the lower longitudinal coupling members being arranged for carrying atleast one complementary sprocket wheel A and the upper longitudinalcoupling members being arranged for carrying at least one complementarysprocket wheel B for guiding the chains.

In an advantageous manner, the distance between two neighbouring lowersprocket wheels and the distance between two neighbouring upper sprocketwheels has a constant value d and the lower and upper longitudinalcoupling members have a length substantially equal to a multiple of thisdistance d which separates two neighbouring sprocket wheels.

In an alternative embodiment, the installation may comprise severaljuxtaposed and/or superposed modules, these modules being connected inpairs by common connecting members, the longitudinal coupling membershaving lengths ranging between d and nd, where n is an integer greaterthan 1.

The connecting members are preferably constituted by studs fixed to theends of the vertical columns, these studs having a parallelepipedicshape of square or rectangular cross-section and having four flat facesarranged for fixing the lower and upper longitudinal coupling membersand the lower and upper transversal coupling members.

In an advantageous manner, the longitudinal coupling members comprise acrossbeam supporting the sprocket wheels and two stiffening rodsarranged respectively on either side of said crossbeam.

In the preferred embodiment, the connecting members are arranged foreach carrying a sprocket wheel.

In an advantageous manner, the installation comprises at least oneautomatic shelf exchanger and this exchanger comprises a clean shelfintroduction, device and a dirty shelf removal device, these two devicesbeing grouped downstream from the product clearing station.

The clean shelf introduction device may be installed downstream from aseparate product loading station, and the dirty shelf removal device maybe installed downstream from the product clearing station.

The clean shelf introduction device preferably comprises a pusherarranged for pushing a shelf arranged at the top of a stack of cleanshelves in a magazine, into an empty space of a pendulant productcarrier and the dirty shelf removal device comprises a claw arranged forpulling a dirty shelf out of a pendulant product carrier and forbringing it to the top of a stack of dirty shelves in a magazine.

Said magazines comprise a notched belt driven by a driving motor and aconsole carrying the clean and dirty shelves respectively.

In an alternative embodiment the automatic shelf exchanger comprises adevice for feeding empty shelves to be loaded located in the loadingstation and a device for recovering empty unloaded shelves, and thedevice for feeding empty shelves to be loaded is associated with adevice for loading layers of products, the empty unloaded shelf recoverydevice being associated with a device for unloading layers of productsidentical to the loading device.

The present invention will be better understood with reference to thedescription of a preferred embodiment and alternative embodiments and tothe attached drawing given by way of non limiting example, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment ofthe pendulant storage installation according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a simplified perspective view illustrating the basicconcept of one of the modules forming the installation shown in FIG. 1,

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show three distinct combinations of modules forrealising an installation according to the invention,

FIG. 6 shows a lateral elevation view of the installation of figure 5,

FIG. 7 shows a schematical side elevation view of an automatic shelfexchanger,

FIG. 8 shows a view of the driving mechanism of the automatic exchangerof FIG. 7, and

FIG. 9 shows a schematical view of an alternative embodiment in whichlayers of products are loaded on the shelves.

Referring to FIG. 1, the pendulant storage installation 10, shown inperspective, consists principally of a frame 11 which, in this case, hasthe shape of a parallelepipedic rectangle which defines a storage spaceinside which are mounted two endless conveying chains 12 and 13 betweenwhich pendulant product carriers 14 are suspended carrying shelves 15 onwhich products 16 are placed. Pendulant product carriers 14 aresuspended horizontally by two lateral pivots on chains 12 and 13 whichmove parallel to each other along a multiple loop path comprising afirst section called the feed section 17 going from a station 18 forloading the products onto the shelves to a receiving station 19,arranged for unloading said shelves, and a second section 20 called thereturn section in which the previously unloaded shelves return from thereceiving station to the loading station. In the example shown, theinstallation comprises five pairs of lower sprocket wheels, A1, A2, A3,A4, A5 respectively, and five pairs of upper sprocket wheels, B1, B2,B3, B4, B5 respectively, which are mounted on fixed shafts carried bythe frame. Furthermore, the installation comprises, in the exampleshown, two vertically mobile carriages 21 and 22 respectively, whicheach carry two pairs of lower sprocket wheels C1, C2 (for carriage 21)and C3, C4 (for carriage 22) and two pairs of upper sprocket wheels D1,D2 (for carriage 21) and D3, D4 (for carriage 22). The feed section ofthe closed circuit defined by the two chains 12 and 13 consists of chainsegments passing from the loading station immediately below sprocketwheels B1, then above these sprocket wheels, below upper sprocket wheelsD1 of carriage 21, above sprocket wheels B2, below upper sprocket wheelsD2 of carriage 21, then above sprocket wheels B3, below upper sprocketwheels D3 of carriage 22, above sprocket wheels B4, below upper sprocketwheels D4 of carriage 22, and above sprocket wheels B5 in order todescend again vertically to the receiving station. The return section isdefined by the sections of chain going from the return station belowsprocket wheels A5, then above lower sprocket wheels C4 of carriage 22,below sprocket wheels A4, above lower sprocket wheels C3 of carriage 22,below sprocket wheels A3, above lower sprocket wheels C2 of carriage 21,below sprocket wheels A2, above lower sprocket wheels C1 of carriage 21,and finally below sprocket wheels A1 to return straight down to theloading station. As a result of the mobile carriages, the storageinstallation has a variable accumulation or storage capacity. When thecarriages are in a high, position, the feed section is minimal, that isto say that the products are conveyed as quickly as possible from theloading station to the receiving station. On the other hand, when thecarriages descend to a low position, the length of the feed sectionincreases as does the installation storage capacity.

In the embodiment according to the invention, frame 11 is designed inaccordance with a modular principle, that is to say that it is formed ofone or more modules connected to each other, for the purpose of allowinga configuration which is perfectly suited to the needs of the user andwhich satisfies the requirements imposed by the specifications of theintended application.

FIG. 2 shows a bare perspective view, which illustrates the design of abasic module. This basic module 30 essentially comprises four verticalcolumns 31a, 31b, 31c, and 31d, which are associated at each of theirrespective ends with lower connecting members 32a, 32b, 32c, 32drespectively and upper connecting members 33a, 33b, 33c and 33drespectively. These connecting members are constituted by studs whichare welded, cased or fixed by conventional means (bolts, screws) to theends of the vertical columns, these studs having a parallelepipedicshape of square or rectangular cross-section, so as to have four flatfaces which enable the fixing of lower longitudinal coupling members 34and upper longitudinal coupling members 35 and lower transversalcoupling members 36 and upper transversal coupling members 37, whichassure the connection between the columns of the module. Lower upperlongitudinal coupling members 34 and 35 each comprise a crossbeam, 34aand 35a respectively, supporting one of lower sprocket wheels A and oneof upper sprocket wheels B respectively. Two complementary pairs oflower sprocket wheels A are carried by lower connecting members 32a,32b, 32c and 32d. Likewise, two pairs of upper sprocket wheels B arecarried by upper connecting members 33a, 33b, 33c and 33d. Longitudinalcoupling members 34 and 35 further comprise two stiffening rods 38, 39arranged on either side of crossbeam 34a and 35a respectively. Thesestiffening rods generate prestresses which assure the longitudinalrigidity of basic module 30. Struts can, if required, be used to connectdiagonally the connecting members arranged on a same side of theInstallation in order to reinforce the stability of the assembly.

In order to arrange the installation best suited to the envisagedapplication, it is possible to combine several modules by arranging themin prolongation of each other and/or by superposing them. To this end,connecting members 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d and 33a, 33b, 33c 33d are providedwith appropriate coupling means.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate schematically three alternative modulecombinations formed from a basic module and/or an extension of thisbasic module. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, a basic module 30substantially identical to that shown in FIG. 2 is used. A module 130,which is derived from basic module 30 by a simple reduction of theheight of columns 31a, 31b, 31c and 31d, is superposed onto basic module30. Two identical modules 230, are juxtaposed in prolongation of basicmodule 30, said modules 230 being derived from basic module 30 sincelongitudinal coupling members 34 and 35 have been enlarged in comparisonto the basic module, which enables two intermediary sprocket wheelsrespectively A and B to be installed and consequently the storagecapacity of the installation to be increased. Finally, two identicalmodules 330 have been superposed onto modules 230. They differ frommodules 230 in that the height of the columns has been reduced to beequal to that of the columns of module 130.

As a result of the modular concept and the assembly concept based onconnecting members connected to each other by columns of variable lengthand coupling members of variable length, it is particularly easy, as thefigure shows, to use an optimal volume, for example delimited by theground S and the ceiling P of existing premises for temporarily storingproducts. In an embodiment of this type, certain of the sprocket wheelsare removed, for example the upper sprocket wheels of a first module andthe lower sprocket wheels of a second module when the second module issuperposed onto the first.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment which exploits in an optimummanner a space delimited by four levels N1, N2, N3 and N4. One canaffirm straight away that known types of storage devices could not beused in premises having such a complex configuration and that this usewould compel the user to undertake costly building transformation worksrequiring the line to be halted. This embodiment consists of basicmodule 30 complemented by three juxtaposed and superposed modules 230,as defined with reference to FIG. 3, and by module 130 superposed ontobasic module 30 as well as module 330 superposed onto two modules 230.

FIG. 5 illustrates a relatively simple embodiment which consists ofbasic module 30 juxtaposed to module 230.

FIG. 6 shows a lateral view of the installation of FIG. 5. The existenceof a strut 50, which contributes to the stability of this installation,will be noted in particular,

This modular concept allows adaptation to all sites and all applicationsand in addition permits the installation to evolve, in particularpermitting the storage volume to be increased as a function of a growthin needs.

It will be noted however that the distance between two sprocket wheels Aand between two sprocket wheels B is constant. It is linked to theminimum separation between the pendulant product carriers of twoadjacent columns, this minimum separation being determined in such a waythat these pendulant product carriers do not collide with each otherduring their movements, it follows from the fact that sprocket wheels Aare equidistant, that the length of lower longitudinal coupling members34 is standard for a module type. For example, for basic module 30, thislength is approximately equal to twice the distance between two sprocketwheels A, namely 2d if d is the distance between two sprocket wheels A.In the case of modules 230 and 330, this length is equal to 3d.

The same reasoning is valid for sprocket wheels E and upper longitudinalcoupling members 35 whose length is a integer multiple of distance dwhich separates the axes of two sprocket wheels A or B.

Generally, the length of the longitudinal coupling members is between dand nd, where n is an integer greater than 1.

When pendulant product carriers 14 carry shelves 15 intended to receiveproducts such as bars of chocolate which leave particles or crumbs whichdirty said shelves, it is necessary to clean the shelves regularly. Inknown installations, this cleaning is carried out manually. Theperfectly symmetrical shape of the shelves, their shape and the mannerin which they are installed and held in position on the pendulantproduct carriers, enable the installation to be provided with anautomatic shelf exchanger. An advantageous embodiment of an exchanger ofthis type is shown schematically by way of example in FIGS. 7 and 8. Inthis embodiment, exchanger 100 regroups a clean shelf introductiondevice 101 and a dirty shelf removal device 102. The operating sequencesor the operation mode of these devices may be very varied according torequirements. The exchange of shelves is of course carried out when theproducts have already been cleared. This exchange may, for example,affect one pendulant product carrier in ten for each complete cycle ofthe installation, so that at the end of ten cycles all the pendulantproduct carriers have been cleaned.

Clean shelf introduction device 101 comprises a magazine 103 in which aseries of clean shelves 15 is stacked and a pusher 104 arranged forpushing shelf 15 which is uppermost in the stack, causing it to slideonto a table 105 and positioning it in the empty space 16 facingpendulant product carrier 14. This empty space has been created byremoval device 102 which has previously withdrawn a dirty shelf at thecorresponding place.

This removal device 102 comprises a magazine 107 in which a series ofshelves 15 to be cleaned is stacked, and a claw 108 arranged forwithdrawing a shelf from the pendulant product carrier, sliding it ontoa table 109 and bringing it to the top of the stack of shelves inmagazine 107. Each time a shelf 15 is deposited, the height of magazine107 is reduced by an amount corresponding to the thickness of theLateral ends of a shelf. On the other hand, each time a shelf 15 isremoved from magazine 103, the height of the stack is increased by anaround corresponding to this same thickness.

In the example shown, the two magazines 103 and 107 are arranged on acarriage 110 which may be removed manually or automatically.

FIG. 5 shows the driving mechanism of automatic exchanger 100. Device101 and device 102 each comprise a driving motor, 101a and 102arespectively, arranged for each driving a notched belt, 101b and 102brespectively. These belts each carry a console, 101c and 102crespectively, which act as a support to the stack of clean shelves andthe stack of dirty shelves respectively, The motors are controlled so asto move forward step by step. One of a the consoles moves upwards whenthe other moves downwards. The stack of clean shelves is in theory fullwhen the stack of dirty shelves is empty and vice versa.

According to an alternative embodiment, the two introduction and removaldevices may be separate. A solution of this type may for example beenvisaged if one wishes to place rows or layers of products on theshelves before placing these shelves in the pendulant product carriers.In this case, the dirty shelf removal device is installed after theproduct clearing station and the clean shelf introduction device isinstalled downstream from the separate product loading station. Thistype of embodiment enables layers of products to be stored, which hasnever been able to be achieved with known installations.

An embodiment of this type is shown in FIG. 9. Product loading station18 is arranged for carrying out the loading of layers of products 16.This station is provided with an empty shelf feed device 8 and a productlayer loading device 9. It further comprises a belt 18a and a guide 18bhaving a comb shaped structure in order to be able to hold the productsindividually in such a way that they keep their arrangement in layerswhen they are transferred onto shelves 15. These shelves are brought bya device as before and are placed on the pendulant product carrier afterhaving been loaded with products arranged in layers. The recovery of theproducts is carried out in a similar manner in the receiving stationwith a product unloading device and an empty shelf recovery device.

I claim:
 1. Pendulant product storage device, in particular for foodproducts and more particularly for bars of chocolate or the like, theseproducts being placed on shelves arranged horizontally on pendulantproduct carriers horizontally suspended on two chains moving parallel toeach other in a closed circuit comprising a feed section going from astation for loading products on the shelves, to a product receivingstation, arranged for unloading the shelves, and a return section inwhich the empty shelves are brought back from the receiving station tothe loading station, in which the frame consists of at least one basicmodule (30) comprising four vertical columns (31a, 31b, 31c, 31d) whichare connected to each other in pairs by lower longitudinal couplingmembers (34) and upper longitudinal coupling members (35) and by lowertransversal coupling members (36) and upper transversal coupling members(37), characterised in that the vertical columns comprise at each oftheir ends four lower connecting members (32a, 32b, 32c, 32d) and upperconnecting members (33a, 33b, 33c, 33d), in that these connectingmembers are provided with coupling means arranged for assuring theassembly of adjacent and/or superposed modules, and by at least oneautomatic shelf exchanger (100).
 2. Installation according to claim 1,characterised in that the lower connecting members (32a, 32b, 32c, 32d)are arranged for carrying a lower sprocket wheel (A) and the upperconnecting members (33a, 33b, 33c, 33d) are arranged for carrying anupper sprocket wheel (B) for guiding the chains.
 3. Installationaccording to claim 1, characterised in that the lower longitudinalcoupling members (34) are arranged for carrying at least onecomplementary sprocket wheel (A) and the upper longitudinal couplingmembers (35) are arranged for carrying at least one complementarysprocket wheel (B) for guiding the chains.
 4. Installation according toclaim 2, characterised in that the distance between two neighbouringlower sprocket wheels (A) and the distance between two neighbouringupper sprocket wheels (B) has a constant value d.
 5. Installationaccording to claim 3, characterised in that the lower longitudinalcoupling members (34) and the upper longitudinal coupling members (35)have a length substantially equal to a multiple of the distance d whichseparates two neighbouring sprocket wheels (respectively A or B). 6.Installation according to claim 1, characterised in that it comprisesseveral juxtaposed and/or superposed modules, these modules beingconnected in pairs by common connecting members, and in that thelongitudinal coupling members (34, 35) have lengths between d and nd,where n is an integer greater than
 1. 7. Installation according to claim1, characterised in that this exchanger (100) comprises a clean shelfintroduction device (101) and a dirty shelf removal device (102). 8.Installation according to claim 7, characterised in that the clean shelfintroduction device and the dirty shelf removal device (102) are groupeddownstream from the product clearing station.
 9. Installation accordingto claim 7, characterised in that the clean shelf introduction device(101) is installed downstream from a separate product loading station,and in that the dirty shelf removal device is installed downstream fromthe product clearing station.
 10. Installation according to claim 7,characterised in that the clean shelf introduction device (101)comprises a pusher (104) arranged for pushing a shelf arranged at thetop of a stack of clean shelves in a magazine (103), into an empty spaceof a pendulant product carrier (14).
 11. Installation according to claim7, characterised in that the shelf removal device comprises a claw (108)arranged for withdrawing a dirty shelf from a pendulant product carrier(14) and for bringing it to the top of a stack of dirty shelves in amagazine (107).
 12. Installation according to claim 10, characterised inthat said magazines (103, 107) comprise a notched belt (101b, 102b)driven by a driving motor (101a, 102a) and a console (101c, 102c)carrying the stacks of clean shelves and dirty shelves respectively.